Press with power device for opening and handling multiple section molds



May 16, 1961 J. E. BORAH 2,933,953

- PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS Filed Aug. 12, 1960 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. JOHN E. BORAH ATTORNEY Filed Aug. 12, 1960 May 16, 1961 ORAH 2,983,953

J. E. 8 PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS v 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pl 44 2x27 [Q0 1 44 IFTIITTII'I'TIITIWTIIYTI I 40 40 Am INV EN TOR.

, JOHN E. BORAH L 1 BY zz/w FIG. 2 ATTORNEY May 16, 1961' J. E. BORAH 2,983,953

PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS Filed Aug. 12, 1960 14 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH ATTORNEY May 16, 1961' 2,983,953

J. E. BORAH PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS Filed Aug. 12, 1960 14 Sheets-Sheet 4 k LJ l I I2; I2 I I I I 202 /50\\ we w c: 2 00 :5 a I 96 F 5616 9 I 3 :5 we 92 E? y H 6 "-7 L 50 6 I 80 ear \-|4' n8 30m 1 if." h I: 54 32 L I i- 6 I:lglb0 71 I62 I 1 1 I V I j. 62

' INVENTOR. JOHN E.- BORAH ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 I J. E. BORAH 2,983,953

PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS Filed Aug. 12, 1960 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.- 5

INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 J. E. BORAH I 2,983,953

PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS Filed Aug. 12, 1960 14 Sheets-*Sheet 6 I 15% I O O T I '3 O I l I? I I I I i I: I T I: \II TI I i I l TR, c M DC (O COL. l 0 00 I O I I R L| l I I I 0 0 II I I 00 I I )0 I I l l I I l b l Ob I O Oh I 000 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 J. E. BORAH PRESS WITH POWE R DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS 14 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Aug. 12, 1960 r I I I I I I I I I I I mo i n: E w QM W Qh w QQQ Q E V Q an 3Q I II II I I I I I l I I I I I I I l l I Q Q INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH ATTORNEY May 16,1961 J. E. BORAH 2,983,953

, PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS Filed Aug. 12, 1960 I4 Sheets-Sheet 8 use FIG. 9

INVENTOR.

JOHN E. B OR AH AT TORNEY May 16, 1961 J. E. BORAH 2,983,953

PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS Filed Aug. 12, 1960 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 //'F-\ & s1 m l 9 u.

f g INVENTOR.

JOHN E.BORAH WM.%

ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 J. E. BORAH 2,983,953

PRESS WITH POWER DE VICE FOR OPEN AND HANDLING MULTIPLE'SECTION M0 Filed Aug. 12, 1960 14 Sheets-Sheet 10 Z T :azo ggg 256 i FIG. I6 214 FIG.I4

F 6. l5 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 J. E. BORA'H 2,983,953

PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS Filed Aug. 12, 1960 14 Sheets-Sheet 11 7 l a l m I l 38 39%} l J F (5. l7 7 H 40 'l llfl II Ill] FIG. l8

INVENTOR.

J OHN E. B ORAH ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 J. E. BORAH 2,983,953

r PRESS 'WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS Filed Aug. 12, 19 60 14 Sheets-Sheet 12 INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 J. PRESS WITH POWER HANDLING MULTIP Filed Aug. 12, 1960 FIG. 2|

FIG. 23

E. BORAH 2,983,953

D I F0 PENING AND TI MOLDS l4 Sheets-Sheet 1'3 INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH AT TORNEY J. E. BORAH H POWER ING MULT May 16, 1961 Sheets-Sheet M DEVICE FOR OPENING AND IPLE SECTION MOLDSl PRESS WIT HANDL Filed Aug. 12, 1960 INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH BY llw ' ATTORNEY PRESS WITH POWER DEVICE FOR OPENING AND HANDLING MULTIPLE SECTION MOLDS John E. Borah, 815 Mishawaka Ave., Mishawaka, Ind. Filed Aug. 12, 1960, Ser. No. 49,273

9 Claims. (Cl. 18-16) The present invention relates to presses for molding articles of rubber, plastic and similar materials and more particularly to a power operated apparatus used in conjunction with presses of this type for opening and handling multiple section molds.

Presses for molding articles of rubber and similar materials consist generally of a base having a hydraulic cylinder with a ram, a head connected to the press base by a plurality of posts or slabs on opposite sides of the press and heated platens mounted on the ram and head and engaging the top and bottom sections of the mold when the press is closed during the molding operation. In the molding operation using conventional transfer molds, the plates or sections of the mold are assembled and closed while the mold parts are supported on a table or platform along the side of the press and the assembled mold is then slid by the operator onto the lower platen and the press closed. After the molding operation has been completed, the press is opened, the mold transferred to the table and the parts of the mold manually pried open and separated by the operator.

The conventional transfer mold consists of a plunger plate which contacts the upper platen on the cross head of the press, a pot well plate in which the plunger compresses the moldable material, one or more center plates in which the principal part of the mold cavity is located, and a bottom plate which may contain a portion of the mold cavity and possibly a core for the mold and which rests on the lower platen on the base or ram of the press. The cavities in the center plate are connected to the pot well plate by one or more sprues through, which the moldable material is injected into the cavities when the plunger is forced into the pot well by the closing of the press. This molding operation is performed under relatively high temperatures and pressures and the plates and other parts of the mold become hot and often adhere to the rubber and the adjacent parts. When the rubber is cured, the press is opened and the assembled mold plates, which are often large, heavy and hard to handle, must be removed from the press, pried open, and mold plates separated while the plates are still hot, so that the molded articles can be removed from the cavities and another charge of moldable material inserted in the pot well. The difliculty of manually handling and opening and closing the molds in molding rubber articles under these conditions has in the past limited the size and weight, and hence the capacity, of the molds and has resulted in a high turn-over in press operating personnel as well as an initial and constant high labor cost factor in the overall operation.

Diiliculty in handling the mold plates of compression type molds is frequently encountered, particularly when the articles being produced in the mold are relatively long and/or thick, requiring large, thick mold, plates which are heavy and hard to insert and: remove from a press, The difficulty in manually handling the assembled mold in inserting and removing it from, the press and in assembling and disassembling the mold plates, has. often,

United States Patent limited the number of cavities to only a few and rendered the molding operation laborious, time consuming, and uneconomical.

It is therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a power operated mold opening and closing apparatus which can be mounted on and operated in conjunction with the press, and which can be handled by the operator with such ease that the size of the mold and mold plates and parts are limited only by the size and capacity of the press in which the apparatus is mounted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a power operated mold apparatus for producing articles of rubber and rubber-like material which can be readily installed in a press and operated to assemble the plates and parts of the mold as the press is closed after moldable material has been inserted therein, and which operates to separate the mold plates automatically as the press is opened, releasing the plate or plates in which the filled mold cavities are located so that they can be easily removed from the press and the molded articles readily removed from the cavities therein.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mold apparatus for forming rubber products and articles which can be easily installed on conventional or standard presses without any substantial modifications or changes being made in the press, and which can be installed on presses already in service without disassembling the press or changing its normal operation.

A further object is to provide a mechanism for use in conjunction with transfer and compression type molds for producing rubber articles and the like, in which the mold plate with the cavities containing the molded articles can be removed mechanically from the press separately from the remainder of the moldplates and then, if required, inverted or turned so that the molded articles will either fall of their own accord from the cavities or can easily be pushed therefrom into a receiving container or onto a conveyor without any individual handling of the articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mold apparatus of the aforesaid type which can be adapted to presses of different makes and sizes and which includes a self-aligning feature for the operating members of the several mold plates and parts. I

In some types of molded rubber and plastic articles, an insert such as a metal ring, chain or spring is molded in the article by placing the insert in the mold cavity and then forming the article around the insert. An example of articles and molds of this type is found in my copending application Serial No. 1,924 filed January 12, 1960. In the use of molds having a large number of small cavities for manufacturing the articles, insertion of the inserts in the cavities can often be a tedious, timeconsuming and unpleasant operation, particularly if the mold part containing the cavity in which-the insert is placed can not be removed from the press. It is therefore another one of the objects of the present invention to provide a power operated mechanism for easily and readily moving the mold plate containing the cavities in wihch the inserts are to be placed outside the press, independently of the remaining plates of the mold.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional hydraulic press having mounted thereon my mold operating apparatus, the press and apparatus being shown in fully opened position;

Figure 2.. is a front. elevational view of the press and mold operating apparatus, shown in Figure 1, with thepress being shown in fully closed position;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the press and mold operating apparatus of the side opposite the one shown in Figure l, the press being shown in closed position and the rnold operating apparatus being shown in part;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the mold operating apparatus and a partial elevational view of the mold operating apparatus and a partial elevational view of the press, the press and mold operating apparatus being shown in fully open position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross sectional view through two mold cavities of an article of a type suitable for production on the present mold apparatus, the section being taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the press and mold operating apparatus, taken on line 66 of Figure 4, illustrating the manner in which the section of the mold containing the final molded articles is removed from the press for the purpose of removing the articles from the cavities;

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the press and mold apparatus shown in the preceding figures, taken on line 7--7 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the lower section of the mold and press platen and end elevational view of one of the tracks on which the mold section is removed from the press;

Figure 9 is a vertical cross sectional view of one of the guide and support devices for a section of the mold, the device being shown in the position assumed when the mold is in fully closed position; Figure 10 is a vertical cross sectional view of one of the guide and support devices for a section of the mold. the device shown in the position assumed while the mold is in the fully opened position;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view of the press and mold apparatus, taken on line 1111 of Figure 6, illustrating the manner in which the mold section containing the final molded articles is removed from the press and inverted for the purpose of removing the articles from the cavities;

Figure 12 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view of one of the tracks on which the removable mold section is withdrawn from the press preparatory to being inverted for the discharge of molded articles from the cavities, said section being taken on line 12-12 of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary elevational view of one portion of one of the tracks on which the removable mold section is withdrawn from the press preparatory to being inverted, showing a portion of the mold section cross section;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional iew of one end of one of the tracks on which the removable mold section is supported, showing a corner of the mold section in the position which it occupies when the press is ready to be closed;

Figure 15 is an elevational view of the mechanism forming a part of the present apparatus for knocking the molded articles from the withdrawn mold section, showing the mold section in position for removal of the molded articles therefrom by said mechanism;

Figure 16 is an enlarged fragmentary partial cross sectional view of the mechanism shown in Figure 15 and the mold having the molded articles therein ready to be removed by the mechanism, the section being taken on line 1616 of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the press showing a mechanism forming a part of the present apparatus for removing one of the mold sections from the press after the mold has been fully opened;

Figure 18 is a fragmentary view of the mechanism shown in Figure 17 for removing the mold section from the press, showing the mold section in its removed position;

Figure 19 is elevational view of a portion of the press showing the mold removing mechanisms of a modification of my mold operating apparatus;

Figure 20 is a vertical cross sectional view through a portion of the press showing the mechanisms for removing the upper and lower plates of the mold from the press, the section being taken on line 20--20 of Figure 19;

Figure 21 is a side elevational view of one of the tracks for supporting a removable mold section;

Figure 22 is an enlarged top plan view of one end of the track illustrating one type of mechanism for clamping a removable mold section in a firm position after it has been removed from the press;

Figure 23 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 23-23 of Figure 21 showing the mold clamping means in its withdrawn position;

Figure 24 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to that shown in Figure 23 and taken on the same sectional line, showing the mold clamping means in its clamping position;

Figure 25 is an enlarged view of one of the rails forming a part of the present apparatus and a mold section being supported thereby, said section being shown in cross section;

Figure 26 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 2626 of Figure 25, showing a modified form of the mold clamping means in its withdrawn position; and

Figure 27 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to that shown in Figure 26 and taken on the same sectional line, showing the mold clamping means in its clamping position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and to Figures l and 3 in particular, numeral 20 designates generally a hydraulic press including a base 22 containing the hydraulic cylinder with ram 24, ram platen 26, press head 28 and four corner posts or tie rods 30, '32, 34 and 36 extending through the enlarged upper end of base 22 and head 28 and being rigidly secured at the lower and upper ends to the base and head by collars 38 and jam nuts 40 at the base, and collars 42 and jam nuts 44 at the head. Ram platen 26 is secured to the upper end of ram 24 and is provided at the corners with bosses journalled on the tie rods. The press shown in the drawings is considered for the purpose of the present description as a conventional hydraulic press controlled and operated by well known hydraulic equipment, including a supply tank, electric driven pressure pump, and standard control valves and relays (not shown). The type of press and the details in construction shown are included to fully illustrate the construction and operation of the present power operated mold apparatus, said apparatus being readily adaptable to various types of hydraulic presses, including the well known slab type presses. The present apparatus is an improvement on the apparatus disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 11,533 filed February 29, 1960.

A transfer mold for producing gaskets having a metal insert, of the type disclosed and claimed in my above mentioned copending application Serial No. 1,924, is shown to illustrate one type of mold adapted for operation by my apparatus. Briefly, the mold consists of a plunger plate 50, pot well plate 52, center plate 54, and bottom plate 56, the plunger plate being secured by bolts 58 to the underside of upper platen 60 and the bottom plate being slidably mounted on lower platen 62 in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter. The upper and lower platens which are heated by electricity or by steam and are secured to the head and the ram platen, respectively, contain passages for circulating steam or other hot fluid therethrough to maintain the plates of the mold at the required temperature for proper molding and curing. The mold cavity 66 for producing the gaskets is disposed in the lower portion of the pot well plate 52 of the mold, center plate 54 and the upper part of bottom plate 56. The core 68 is secured to the bottom plate and projects upwardly into the cavity and the, moldable material is injected into the cavity through PIlle 70 in the bottom of the pot well. After moldable material has been placed in the pot well, the mold is closed and placed under pressure, 'causing the moldable material to flow through sprue 70 into the mold cavity. The mold is then maintained under pressure at the ele- .vated temperature for sufficient time to permit the rubber in the cavity to cure, and all four sections are then opened and separated in sequence, and the molded articles removed from the cavities in the center plate where they remained after the mold was opened. A plurality of pins 72 mounted in bottom plate 56 and extending into holes in center plate 54 align those two plates when the mold is being closed; a plurality of pins 74 in the bottom of pot well plate 52 and extending into holes in the center plate align those two plates; and a plurality of pins 76 in plunger 50 and extending into holes in the pot well plate align those two plates when the mold is approaching fully closed position. The manipulation of the mold and the sequence of operation thereof just described are standard and are normally performed manually, with the mold being necessarily limited to a size often with only a small number of cavities, capable of being handled physically by one or two press operators. The present novel apparatus makes the operation at least semi-automatic and permits a single operator to operate one or more presses simultaneously, as well as eliminating lifting of heavy mold plates and minimizing the physical manipulating of the plates by the operator.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in detail in Figures 1 through 4, plunger plate 50 is secured to the underside of platen 60 and remains in stationary position throughout the operation of the press. Pot well plate 52 is suspended on four vertical shafts 80, 82, 84 and 86 which are secured to the margin of the respective ends of the plate and extend upwardly through holes in overhanging edges of platen 60 and thence into respective identical guide units 88, 90, 92 and 94, to be more fully described hereinafter, which determine the lowermost positions of plate 52 when the press is open. Center section 54 is suspended on a pair of parallel rails 110 and 112 which in turn are suspended on vertical shafts 114 and 116 on opposite ends of the press for track 110 and shafts 118 and 120 on opposite ends of the press for track 112. These four shafts extend upwardly through holes in the overhanging edges of platen 60 and are connected to respective hydraulic cylinders 121, 122, 123 and 124 containing pistons 121, 122, 123' and 124, respectively, which determine the lowermost position of tracks 110 and 112 and which may be employed either to lift and lower the tracks or merely to lower the tracks. The cylinders may be operated from the press hydraulic system or from a separate systen-1, the hydraulic lines and controls therefor being con- Ventional and hence not described herein. Rails 11 0 and 112 form a track on which center cavity plate section 54 can be slid from its position in the press for molding, as seen in Figure 3, to its position completely removed from the press for removal of the molded articles, as seen in Figures 6 and 11. The rails support section 54 from the time the bottom section 56 is removed therefrom during the opening of the press until the mold is again closed after section 54 has been slid from the press to the position shown in Figure 6 and returned to the press ready for the next molding operation. As soon as bottom section 56 picks up section 54 as the press closes, the rails are supported by the marginal edge of section 54, if the hydraulic cylinders are mere single-acting as above described. The, hydraulic cylinders are rigidly supported by and secured to the two parallel channel beams 125 and 126 mounted on top of head 28 and extending outwardly from the press at opposite ends as seen in Figure l. The cylinders are joined to. the beams by boltsor other suitable ecuring means an the eam a he d m n d n the pp end of the rods between collars 42 and nuts 44. Since the thickness of the center section 54 may vary from one mold to another, depending upon the size and configuration of the article being molded, shafts 114, 116, 118 and preferably include adapter sections 114', 116', 118' and 120' threadedly or otherwise connected to the shafts proper to vary the overall length of the shafts as required.

The construction and design of the rails 110 and 112 and the relationship of the rails to the center cavity section 54 are shown in detail in Figures 6, 11, 12 and 13, each rail in the embodiment shown consisting of a bar of steel extending through the press and outwardly approximately the length of the center section and containing a longitudinal groove 130 extending the full length thereof on the side facing the center section and being of a height substantially equal to the thickness of margin 132 of section 54. Each rail is sufficiently wide in the portion 134 in the mold that the metal of the rail extends over the margin 132 of the center section throughout the length thereof while the section is in the press for molding, thus giving the necessary support to the center cavity plate section while the mold is being opened, and to the rails while they are being lifted during the press closing operation. The inner edge of portion 136 of each rail is offset outwardly sufliciently that the space between the two rails is greater than the width of the center section with the exception of the widened portion at one end created by opposed lugs 138 and 140. When the center section has been fully withdrawn from the press along rails 110 and 112, it is supported solely by pins 142 and 14.4 in opposite edges of the section plate, and also by lugs 138 and 140 except while the section is being inverted to the position shown in Figure 6. The pins slide freely in the respective grooves of rails 110 and 112 and are preferably provided with a sleeve of hard, wear-resistant metal which either slides or rolls in the groove and thereby reduces the wear and tear on the PlIlS.

In removing center cavity section 54 from the press and inverting it to remove the molded articles from the cavities therein, starting with section 54 fully in the press and with lugs 138 and 140 in the left hand end of the rails as viewed in Figure 6, the section is pulled along on the rails until the lugs register with slots 146 and 148 in the upper side of the rails in portion 136. These slots are of suflicient length to permit the lugs to pass freely therethrough when pressure is applied to the opposite end of the section 54, thus permitting the section to rotate on pins 142 and 144 until the section reaches the position shown in Figure 6, i.e. with section 54 inverted and positioned horizontally with the lugs extending fully beyond the ends of the rails. The section is then pushed inwardly toward the press until the lugs are in grooves 130 at the end of the rails, the lugs thus retaining the section firmly in its inverted position and giving support to the plate while the molded parts are being removed therefrom. The offset between portions 134 and 136 and slots 16 and 148 permits section 54 to rotate freely between the rails when the section has been withdrawn from the press, as shown in Figure 6. If desired, the lugs 138 and 140 may be placed at the opposite end of section 54 and when the section is to be inverted it is pulled outwardly along the rails until the lugs are beyond the ends thereof. On rotating the section on pins 142 and 144 the lugs pass upwardly, over and downwardly into slots 146 and 148.

To position the center cavity plate section initially when it is returned to the press on the rails, a positive stop means is employed consisting of a block of steel 150, shown in detail in Figure 14, which fits snugly in groove 130, and one or more set screws 152 extending through the rail above or below the block for locking the positive stop block. in prop p ce on e e ex ct po on o the center cavity section is established for safe and proper closing of the mold. The block contains a tapered exten' sion 154 to assist in guiding and centering plate 54 in the press.

Rails 160 and 162 are provided for removing bottom section 56 of the mold from the press in order to facilitate loading the mold cavities with inserts such as steel rings, beaded chains and annular coil springs as described in my above mentioned copending application, Serial No. 1,924. Each rail is secured to platen 62 and extends the full length thereof and outwardly from the press a distance approximately equal to the length of bottom section 56. Since the bottom plate section of the mold must rest on the lower press platen 62 when the bottom section is in the press, the rails are slotted along the lower side to seat over the opposite edges of the lower platen and form guides for the lower section without giving any actual support thereto. The portion 166 of each rail is constructed to give full support to the bottom section when the section is pulled from the press along the rails, and consists of a bar of steel having an inwardly facing groove 170 in which the marginal edge of the bottom section slides. The bottom section is not inverted when it is removed from the press, as is center section 54. To positionthe bottom section initially when it is returned to the press, a stop means similar to the one used in connection with rails 110 and 112 is employed. In order to facilitate the shifting of the bottom plate from its position in the press to its fully withdrawn position along rails 160 and 162, a hydraulic cylinder 172 containing piston 172', shown in full in Figures 17 through 20, and rigidly mounted horizontally on the side of ram platen 26 by a bracket 174 and containing piston rod 176, moves the bottom plate between the two positions by pressure, supplied either from the pressure hydraulic system of the press or from an independent hydraulic system. Piston rod 176 is joined flexibly and loosely to the bottom plate by a flexible coupling 178 which permits adjustment between the rod and plate to accommodate any misalignment between the two parts. The hydraulic fluid for operating is supplied to opposite ends of cylinder 172 through lines connected to the opposite ends of the cylinder from a control device (not shown) operated by the press operator or by an automatic control in sequence with the opening and closing of the press.

To provide effective guides for rods 80, 82, 84 and 86 and to assist in initially separating the mold sections as the press is opened, guide units 88, 90, 92 and 94, respectively, are provided for the rods. Since the four guide units are the same in construction and operation, only unit 88 will be described in detail herein (Figures 9 and The unit consists of a hollow cylindrical body 180 secured at its lower end to a base 182 which is provided with a flange 184 through which two bolts 186 and 187 extend into platen 62 to retain unit 88 firmly in an upright position around and concentric with rod 80, the rod passing vertically through hole 188 in the platen. Surrounding rod 80 and seated in recessm 190 and 192 in the upper part of platen 62 and in the lower part of the base is a longitudinal ball bearing assembly 194 which assures free movement of rod 80 through the hole in the platen. The rod extends upwardly through the base into the hollow interior in body 180 and is provided at its upper end with a collar 196 secured to the upper end of the rod by a screw 198 and washer 200. A coil spring 202 is supported by collar 196 and reacts between the collar and the bottom end of plug 204 threadedly secured in the upper end of the body. The spring is only sufliciently long to apply a reactive force against the upper end of the rod, and hence in the direction to assist in separating the mold section, for approximately the first inch of downward movement of the rod. The spring in effect imparts a kicking action at the initial stages of the mold opening operation to break the pot well loose from the plunger. Thereafter the spring merely rides on the collar and the pot well continues to open from its own weight until rod 88 has moved from the position shown in Figure 9 to the position shown in Figure 10 with collar 196 resting on the upper side of base 182. Plug 204 can be screwed inwardly or outwardly at the upper end of body 180 to vary the force which spring 202 initially exerts on the upper end of rod and consequently on the pot well in the opening movement of the mold.

When center plate 54 has been withdrawn from the press along tracks and 112, it is inverted in the manner illustrated in Figure 11 so that the molded articles in the cavities of the plate will either fall of their own accord from the cavities or when pressed from the then top side of the plate, will fall from the cavities into a container or onto a conveyor. Since many types of molded articles will not fall from the cavities without first being dislodged, the present apparatus eliminates the tedious work of pushing the articles individually from each mold cavity either with the hands or with a special tool designed for that purpose. A mechanism for performing the opera tion and eliminating the manual manipulation is shown generally at numeral 210 and in detail in Figure 15, and consists of a plunger 212 of rectangular shape and of substantially the same size as the area covered by the cavities in the center plate 54 and is supported on and operated by a rod 214 reciprocated downwardly and upwardly between the positions shown in Figures 2 and 15 by a hydraulic cylinder 216 and piston 218, respectively. Cylinder 216 is supported directly above the position occupied by section 54 when it is withdrawn from the press on tracks 110 and 112 by a platform 220 consisting of a cross member 222 slidably mounted on two longitudinal members supported on the upper side of head 28 of the press. Platform 222 is supported on members and 126 by extensions 230 and 232 on one end and extensions 234 and 236 on the other end, said extensions being joined rigidly to platform 222 and overlapping respective members 125 and 126. The platform is slidable along the members toward and away from the press in order to center plunger 212 over different center plates 54, since the center plate from one mold to another may vary in size and position of mold cavities. After an adjustment of platform 222 along members 125 and 126 has been made, the platform is locked in place by bolts 238 extending upwardly through extensions 232 and 236 and seating on the underside of the longitudinal members. The piston is operated by hydraulic fluid supplied through conduits 240 and 242 at the top and bottom of cylinder 216. Figure 16 illustrates the manner in which the present article push-out mechanism 210 operates, plunger 212,- which in the embodiment illustrated is provided with a smooth flat underside parallel with the center plate, engaging the molded articles 244 projecting above the centerplate 54 and pushing the articles from the mold cavity as piston 218 completes its downward stroke. One or more vertical guide rods 246 extending upwardly throughsuitable fixtures attached to beams 125 and 126 may be used to retain the rectangular plunger in its proper angular position with respect to the center plate. After the push-out operation has been completed, piston 218 and rod 214 withdraw plunger 212 from the position shown in Figure 15 to the positiion shown in Figure 2. The mechanism shown in the drawings contains a tray 248 or the like on the upper side of the plunger for holding moldable material for use in the press in easy reach of the operator while the plunger is in its extended or partially extended position. 4

After mold section 54 has been inverted preparatory toremoving the molded articles from the cavities, it is:

preferable to hold the mold section rigidly in place and to prevent excessive pressure from being applied to pins 142 and 144 when the knockout mechanism 210 is oper ated. A device for performing this function is shown in Figures '21 through 24, consisting .of a clamp 260 seated.

aasasss in a groove 262 in the outer end of each rail 110 and 112 and having a modified V-shaped slot 264 in the edge facing inwardly toward the edge of mold section 54 when section 54 has been removed from the press along the two rails. Clamp 260 is moved along groove 262 from its fully retracted position shown in Figure 23 to its fully extended position clamping the mold section by a screw shaft 266 threadedly received in a bore 268 in the rail and being provided with a hand lever or wheel 270 for use in rotating the screw during the clamping and unclamping operations, When extra thick mold sections are used, a modified form of clamping device maybe employed, such as that shown in Figures 26 and 27, consisting of a plunger 272 having a wedge shaped forward end 274 and reciproeating in slot 275 in the same manner as the previously described clamp form. A matching recess 276 is provided in the edge of the mold section for receiving the forward end of the plunger and aligning the section with respect to the lower surface of plunger 272. As the clamp or plunger engages mold section 54 the section is raised slightly at the respective end so that substantially a h igh o he section. s ppo ted y e a p devices and the opposite end of the section resting on the bottom of groove 130, as shown in Figure 25, thus relieving the pressure of the plate and knockout mechanism from pins 142 and 144.

In the operation of the present apparatus shown in the drawings, starting with the mold open and with the desired inserts already in place in the cavities of bottom section 56 and the moldable material on pot well plate 52, the press is actuated, causing ram 24 to move upwardly carrying ram plate 26, platen 62 and bottom section 56. When section 56 engages center cavity plate section 54, pins 72 seat in the respective holes of section 54, accurately aligning the two sections and carrying section 54 upwardly until it reaches plate 52, whereupon pins 74 enter the respective holes in section 5.4 and align plate 52 with the previously aligned sections 56 and 54. The two sections and plate 52 are raised until the mold approaches fully closed position and, with the entrance of pins 76 into the respective holes of plate 52, the mold parts all become fully aligned and the mold is closed and placed under sufiicient pressure and temperature to extrude the moldable material into the mold cavities and thereafter to cure the molded articles. The press ram is then withdrawn, pulling the bottom platen downwardly and causing the mold sections and plates to separate in sequential operation and come to rest in their open position shown in Figure 3. As the press is opened, cylinders 121, 122, 123 and 124 are energized to apply sufiicient pressure to separate mold section 54 from pot well 52 and to extend the respective rods 114, 116, 118 and 120 to their lowermost position and rails 110 and 112 to proper position for removal of section 54 from the press. Simultaneously with the initial stages of the press opening operation, springs 202 reacting on collars 196 separate pot well 52 from plunger section 50, permitting section 52 to move downwardly of its own weight to its fully opened position, as seen in Figure 4, with collars 196 resting on base 182 of the respective guide devices. Section 54 is moved from the press along rails 110 and 112 until lugs 138 and 140 register with slots 146 and 148 and the section is rotated to its inverted position in the manner illustrated in Figure 11, and the plate moves toward the press sufliciently to place the lugs in the outer ends of groove 130. The knock-out mechanism is then actuated to lower plunger 212 to the position shown in Figures and 16, and the molded articles are thereby removed from the cavities in the section. Plunger 212 is then fully retracted and section 54 reinverted and slid along the rails into proper position in the press. Cylinder 172 is then actuated to move bottom section 56 from the press along rails 160 and 162 until the cavities therein are readily accessible to p the operator for loading the metal inserts therein, as

10 s o n in F ure .8.- Af er the loadi g p ra ion ha be n comp et cy n e 1. 2, r t n t e tom s ctio to the press. Thereafter, moldable material is placed on the pot well plate, and the press operated to close the mold following the same sequence of operation as described above to repeat the molding operation.

While the description of the present mold handling apparatus has been directed to its use with transfer type molds generally consisting of four plates, the present apparatus is equally adapted to handling compression molds generally consisting of only two or three plates, and is particularly useful when the compression molds are composed of heavy and large center sections which are extremely difiicult to manipulate manually and consequently are often limited numerically to the uneconomical molds of few cavities. The present apparatus permits the use of large mold sections and molds with a relatively large number and size of cavities. It is readily seen that in the use of the present apparatus in com cstion with a compression mold having a thick, heavy inerm a e sec n. th latter s c ion c n e s pp r and manipulated by rails and 112 and the apparatus may includes the previously described features for inverting the section when it is removed from the press on the two rails.

The bottom section of the mold can be removed from the press, if it is advantageous to do so in the operation, along rails and 162 using hydraulic cylinder 172 in the manner described with reference to section 56. In some types of compression molds, molded articles and/or scrap adhere to the upper mold section and must be removed manually by the press operator. In order to avoid reaching into the open press to remove these articles and scrap, rails 290. and 292 (Figures 19 and 20) secured to upper platen 60 and projecting outwardly on one or both sides of the press are provided for removably sup porting the upper mold section 294 so that the mold sec tion can he slid from the press where it can be easily reached and cleaned by the operator. Since the upper mold sections are often heavy and hard to reach, a pair of hydraulic cylinders 29.6 and 298 secured to press head 28 by brackets 300 and 302 and connected to the mold section by rods 304 and 306 are operated to slidethe upper mold section from the press along rails 290 and 292 to a position outside the press where it can be easily reached by the operator. When the cleaning operation has been completed the two. hydraulic cylinders return the section to the press ready for the next molding operation.

The controls for the present press and mold operating apparatus are for the purpose of the present description considered conventional and the components thereof are well known and readily available on the market. The various steps performed by the press and the several hydraulie cylinders can be actuated separately by the operator and they may be performed automatically in sequence, the operator merely loading and unloading the mold and starting the cycle. While a number of variations and modifications in the present mold operating and handling apparatus have been described herein, various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A mold operating and handling apparatus for use in conjunction with a hydraulic press having a vertically movable ram, a stationary head above the ram, and platens operatively connected to said ram and head, and with a mold having a top and bottom and upper and lower intermediate section s, comprising a pair of spaced parallel rails mounted on opposite sides of said ram platen and extending from the press and having inwardly facing grooves the lower surface of which is on a plane with the upper surface of the ram platen, a frame for said bottom mold section having a portion extending into the grooves of the two rails and movable from a position directly above said ram platen to a position beyond the press, hydraulic means mounted on the ram platen for moving the lower section from and into the press along said rails, a pair of horizontally disposed vertically movable rails above said first mentioned pair of rails spaced laterally from one another and extending from the press and having inwardly facing grooves, a pair of vertical shafts spaced along each of said second mentioned rails and extending upwardly on opposite sides of the press, a hydraulic cylinder connected to each of said vertical shafts for raising and lowering said second pair of rails to predetermined positions, a plate-like frame for the lower intermediate mold section extending into the grooves of the second pair of rails and movable from a position between said top and bottom mold sections to a position beyond the press, each of said second mentioned rails having a relatively wide portion within the press and a relatively narrow portion beyond the press on the side containing the grooves and a slot in said narrow portion extending vertically from the upper surface to the groove therein, pivot means between said lower intermediate section and said second pair of rails for inverting said lower intermediate section, a pair of vertical shafts at each end of the upper intermediate mold section extending upwardly on opposite sides of the press and having a stop means for determining the lowermost position of said intermediate mold section, a cylindrical member around each of said second mentioned vertical shafts, a spring reacting on each of said shafts for applying an initial force in the direction to separate said upper mold section and said upper intermediate mold section, a means in the upper end of said cyllndrical member for varying the force applied by said spring on the respective shafts, a pair of spaced parallel rails for supporting the top mold section adjacent the upper platen and for sliding said top mold section into and from the press, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders for moving said top mold section along said respective rails, a plunger-like member positioned directly above said lower intermediate section when said section has been withdrawn from the press, a hydraulic cylinder for moving said plunger-like member into contact with the molded articles in said lower intermediate section for removing said articles therefrom, and means including a threaded shaft extending inwardly through said second mentioned pair of rails for rigidly holding said lower intermediate section in its inverted position.

2. A mold operating and handling apparatus for use in conjunction with a hydraulic press having a vertically movable ram, a head above the ram, and platens operatively connected to said ram and head, and with a mold having a top and bottom and upper and lower intermediate sections, comprising a pair of spaced parallel rails mounted on opposite sides of said ram platen and extending from the press and having inwardly facing grooves, the lower surface of which is on a plane with the upper surface of the ram platen, said bottom mold section having a portion extending into the grooves of the two rails and movable from a position directly above said ram platen to a position beyond the press, a pair of horizontally disposed vertically movable rails above said first mentioned pair of rails spaced laterally from one another and extending from the press and having inwardly facing grooves, a pair of vertical shafts spaced along each of said second mentioned rails and extending upwardly on opposite sides of the press, a power means connected to each of said vertical shafts for moving said second pair of rails downwardly to a predetermined position, a plate-like frame for the lower intermediate mold section extending into the grooves of the second pair of rails and movable from a position between said top and bottom mold sections to a position beyond the press, pivot means between said lower intermediate section and said second pair of rails for inverting said lower intermediate section, a pair of vertical shafts at each end of the upper intermediate mold section extending upwardly on opposite sides of the press and having a stop means for determining the lowermost position of said intermediate mold section, a cylindrical member around each of said second mentioned vertical shafts, a spring reacting on each of said shafts for applying an initial force in the direction to separate said upper mold section and said upper intermediate mold section, a means in the upper end of said cylindrical member for varying the force applied by said spring on the respective shaft, a pair of spaced parallel rails for supporting the top mold section adjacent the upper platen and for sliding said top mold section into and from the press, power means for moving said top mold section along said respective rails, a plunger-like member positioned above said lower intermediate section when said section has been withdrawn from the press, and a power means for moving said plunger-like member into contact with the molded articles in said lower intermediate section for removing said articles therefrom.

3. A mold operating and handling apparatus for use in conjunction with a hydraulic press having a ram, a head above the ram, and platens operatively connected to said ram and head, and with a mold having a top and bottom and upper and lower intermediate sections, comprising a pair of spaced parallel rails mounted on opposite sides of said ram platen and extending from the press and having inwardly facing grooves, a frame for said bottom mold section extending into the grooves of the two rails and movable from a position directly above said ram platen to a position beyond the press, a pair of horizontally disposed vertically movable rails above said first mentioned pair of rails spaced laterally from one another and extending from the press and having inwardly facing grooves, a pair of vertical shafts spaced along each of said second mentioned rails and extending upwardly on opposite sides of the press, a hydraulic cylinder connected to each of said vertical shafts for moving said second pair of rails downwardly to a predetermined position, a frame for the lower intermediate mold section extending into the grooves of the second pair of rails and movable from a position between said top and bottom mold sections to a position beyond the press, means for inverting said lower intermediate section, a pair of vertical shafts at each end of the upper intermediate mold section extending upwardly on opposite sides of the press and having a stop means for determining the lowermost position of said intermediate mold section, a cylindrical member around each vertical shaft, a spring reacting on each of said shafts for applying an initial force in the direction to separate said upper mold section and said upper intermediate mold section, a means for varying the force applied by said spring on the respective shafts, a pair of spaced parallel rails for supporting the top mold section adjacent the upper platen and for sliding said top mold section into and from the press, a plunger-like member positioned above said lower intermediate section when said section has been withdrawn from the press, and a hydraulic cylinder for moving said plunger-like member into contact with the molded articles in said lower intermediate section for removing said articles therefrom.

4. A mold operating and handling apparatus for use in conjunction with a press having a ram, a head, and platens operatively connected to said ram and head, and with a mold having a top and bottom and upper and lower intermediate sections, comprising a pair of spaced parallel rails mounted on opposite sides of said ram platen and extending from the press for moving said bottom section from a position directly above said ram platen to a position beyond the press, a pair of horizontally disposed vertically movable rails above said first mentioned pair of rails spaced laterally from one another and extending from the press for supporting said lower intermediate section, a pair of vertical shafts spaced along each of said second mentioned rails and extending upwardly on opposite sides of the press, a hydraulic cylinder connected to each of said 

